I grew up in the Nashville, TN area and as a child I was always 'making a mess and generally disrupting the flow of my parents home. My mother quickly realized I needed some 'creative outlets' and provided supplies, art lessons and all kinds of experiences to help steer me towards my strengths. My happy place in high school days became the "Art Department" which afforded me the opportunity to explore and experiment with all types of media and where I began to refine my love of line art and watercolor painting.
With college on the horizon, I knew I had to somehow be in the art world but my other wise parent, my dad,
kept saying 'but how will you support yourself?' In the late 70's and early 80's there was not internet and we all knew artists could rarely make enough to live. So I chose to go more commerical and earned a degree in Graphic Design. While graphics kept my fine art skills alive (yep, no computers, everything drawn by hand) it also helped develop my love for strong, bold imagery in logo, print and product design. Perhaps the most memorable class I took was in my very last semester of school - repeat surface design. But it was afterall, my last semester and it was the only course they offered on the industry! With little to no information available as to how to pursue that passion, I graduated and went to work as a Graphic Designer.
After several years, hubby and I decided it was time to start our family and I knew it was more important for me to stay home and train my 'next little generation'. I left the paid workforce and over the next 6 years became mom to three little ones. I continued to draw and paint late at night and even did a little freelance work from time to time. Fifteen years later, everyone grew up ... funny how that happens .... and with a lot of college years on the horizon, I knew it was time to head back to the 'paid workforce'. I quickly realized computers had turned the graphic design world upside down and I was sorely 'outdated'. Since our goal was to pay for 'their' college and not more for me, I began to explore other options. About that time, my fashion business literally dropped in my lap and 12 years later I am still involved in the direct sales industry. I love the flexibility I have working from home, that I control my financial destiny and that through not just personal sales, but by building a sales team I have been able to create residual income. What I did not realize when I first dipped my toe in, was how much I would learn about how to start and grow a business and how much I would love training and helping others as they built theirs.
Now that our kids are grown and my other business is more on autopilot these days, I am once again drawing, painting and creating. I was extremely excited to discover the Surface Design industry is now so much more accessible than all those years ago and is definitely where my heart is focused these days. With the help of so many great artists who are sharing their knowledge and experiences, I have seen that this industry is something I want to be a part of. My life has come full circle and my passion for creating art and helping others get the life they want have finally meshed together. This is what I feel I was truly meant to do and where the 'true magic of creativity' can flourish as never before. I hope you find my journey and the little bit of knowledge I have to pass along will help you to feel bold enough to pursue your passions as well and will empower you to go live your dreams. It is never too late to start and there is always room for you!
all images, titles and designs © 2018 by Dee Ann Pickering